Means for stretching rabbit and other skins



May 12, 1931. G. G. SHARPE 1,805,379

MEANS Fon STRETGHING RABBIT AND OTHER sKINs Filed May :51, 192B PatentedMay '12, 1931 UNETE j STATES PAENT OFFEQ GEORGE C-.RINLEY SHARPE, 0FULCOMBE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR- TO THE GOVERNOR .AND COMPANY GF ABVENTURERSGF ENGLAN TRADNG INTO HUDSONS BAY, OF LONDON, ENG-LAND, Il. BRTIS-COMPANY MEANS FOR STRETGHING RABBT AND OTHER SKINS Application tiled MayEl, 1928, Serial No. 281,885, and in Great Britain August 9, 1927.

rlhis invention consists in an improved method ot' and means orstretching by tension rabbit or other skins. Hitherto, it has beencustomary to stretch such a skin by placing the skin on a board ortraine of wood or other suitable material, and by applying by hand, orby an appropriate device or tool, tension to the marginal portions ofthe skin, and while a stretching operation is being carried out andthose portions are under tension or are being pulled to nail thoseportions to the board. Sometimes a trame has been used for stretching askin by attaching or connecting marginal portions of the skin to theA:trame by means ot cords passing through rings iitted to the frame andthrough hooks thatv are detachably hooked to the skin, the cords servingto lace the frame and-the skin togetlier.

In carrying out in practice the present invention, a frame, formed ofmetal or other suitable material, is provided, which trame may be of asize to accommodate one or more skins at a time during a stretchingperiod or operation, said frame comprising a pair oi' side members, atop member and a bottom member arranged to encompass a space. The topand side members are rigidly or detachably joined together in anyconvenient manner, for instance by means of an eye and pin connection oras in a picture frame. rlfhe bottom member is movable longitudinally ofthe side members and the side members are each provided with a number ofpegs, pins or other pointed devices on which some of the marginalportions of a skin or of a number of skins are impaled during astretching operation. rThe skins are connected adjacent their lowermargins to the bottom member of the frame by hook-like members of whichthe opposite ends detacliably engage the skins and the bottom member ofthe traine. The skins impaled on said pegs and hook-like members arethus held in the stretched condition on tlie frame. The pegs arearranged at any suitable inclination to faces of the frame and at anydesired distances apart.

The frame is preferably yof an upright character with the lower andupper ends of its side members attached, respectively, to feetor basesand to tlie top member,

it the frame be of a size adapted to accomte more than a single skinduring a stretching operation and be such that while one or moremarginal portions of a skin can be thus impaled other marginal portionscannot be inipaled but remain free or disconnected, these latterportions may be attached to Jfree Anargiiial portions of other skins bymeans or" separate hooking devices which have terminal parts so formedor shaped that they can be readily hooked to adjacent skins and beunhooked when' required. f

rlhe hooking devices may consist of a single integral part or member, oroic a. number of parts, Jor example ot two aligned end meinbersconnected together by means of a coil spring or other resilient elementiii line with the end members. filternatively,the spring andthe two endmembers of the hook may be formed in one piece.

'the invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which:

iig. i is a iioniJ e evatioii oi lie Cevice snowing tour skins in astretched position,

n igs. 2 and 3 are detail views showing two different types of hookingdevices,

The frame on which the skins a are stretched is formed ot two upriglits(7) and and two horizontal members c and c. rihe members b are providedwith toot meinbcis d. The lower horizontal member o is preferablyadapted to be vertically displaced longitudinally of the lower portionsof the members o, in order to accommodate itself to variations in thevertical dimensions of the lower of the two rows in which the skins areconveniently arranged. rlhe two vertical members and the horizontalmember c are each provided with a plurality ot pegs or pins e, suitablyspaced apart, and serving to hold the marginal portions of a skin inposition after the latter has been stretched.

ln order to hold the adjacent marginal portions of two neighbouringskins in position a plurality of hooking devices, suitably spaced apart,is employed. The free vertical marginal portions may be held in positionby hook members which comprise two similar hook portions connectedtogether byY an interposedspring' f/ by means of which tension 5 isapplied to the skins. The free adjacent horizontal marginal portions oftwo skins may be held in place by means of thehook members @which arcformed with a barb at each end connected by a straight portion.

The lower edges of the lower row of skins may be connected to the memberc by hooks similar to the members h.

Having thus described the nature of the said invent-ion and the bestmeans I know of carrying 'the same into practical effect, I

claim :es-

l. A device for stretchingl skins of animals, comprising a vertical'frame includingi a pair of side members, a. top member connecting saidverti al members adjacent their upper ends, a bottom member movablerelatively to said top member, skin-engaging members carried by saidside and top members, and skin-engaging hooks detachably mounted on saidbottom member.

2. A device for stretching skins of animals, comprising a vertical frameincluding a pair of side members, a top member connecting said sidemembers adjacent their upper ends,

a bottom .member having its end slidable lon- -gitudinally of sidemembers, skin-engaging means carried by each of said side and topmembers and skin-engaging hooks detachably mounted on said bottommember.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication.

GEORGE GRINLEY si-IARPE. [L s]

